Page 59 of Faith Among Monsters

“Not a very detailed plan.”

Wilkes shrugs. “Easy to follow.”

Zachs frog-crawls toward us, too damn casual for someone being shot at. “Looks like only one over there. You give me cover fire, I’ll run across the catwalk and handle them.”

I stare at him. “That’s an even worse plan than Wilkes has.”

Another zombie lurches out from the stairwell. Faster.

Zachs tilts his head toward me. “Got a plan, doll?”

“Yes,” I say. “We crawl to the door, get to Dax and Trip, then get the hell out of here.”

“That’s a shit plan.” Zachs doesn’t even hesitate. “We need the roof. The ground’s crawling with them things.”

He’s right. The horde is spreading. We don’t have time.

“You’ll get shot if you try to cross the catwalk,” I say.

“Not if you two give me cover, I won’t,” Zachs says.

My brain races. Zachs will get picked off the second he runs. Wilkes might too. But me?

They won’t kill me. They want me alive. They’ll hesitate.

I feel Wilkes shift beside me.

Two more zombies stagger through the door.

Shit. We’re out of time.

Zachs raises his gun.

“I’ll go,” I say.

Both men freeze.

“The hell you will,” Wilkes growls.

“I’m not the traitor. They won’t shoot me.” My mouth goes dry. “They want me alive. For…” I can’t finish that sentence. I don’t have to.

Zachs’ entire body stiffens. His hand twitches toward his knife.

The zombies are too close.

Wilkes fires.

Shit. Shooting will make them think we’re engaging, that we’re trying to fight back.

My breath snaps in my chest. I don’t give myself time to think. I shove Wilkes off me. Then I run.

“Help me! Please help me!” My own voice sounds foreign. High. Frightened. I make myself sound like prey.

The gamble pays off. For now.

No bullets fly at me. No sudden, sharp crack of gunfire. But I don’t dare look back. I can’t. If I do, I might hesitate, and hesitation will get me killed. I have to trust that Zachs and Wilkes can handle themselves. The scuffle behind me, the shuffle of boots and the wet, meaty sounds of blades meeting flesh, it’s all background noise.

“Get back here, you fucking bitch!” The shout is vicious, jagged with rage.

---